Federal prosecutors and Charles H. Keating Jr. finally reached a written agreement that the former Lincoln Savings & Loan owner will not claim that he received an unfair trial on racketeering and other criminal charges because his lawyer once represented two co-defendants, according to documents filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. Keating and two other defendants--his son, Charles H. Keating III, and a son-in-law, Robert M. Wurzelbacher Jr.

The chief financial officer in Charles H. Keating Jr.'s real estate and thrift empire was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for his role in the 1989 collapse of Lincoln Savings & Loan. Andrew F. Ligget, who had pleaded guilty to three felony counts of misapplying $28.7 million in S&L funds, also must pay $148,000 in restitution for the interest that the Irvine thrift lost because of his actions. U.S. District Judge Mariana R.

The son of convicted securities defrauder Charles H. Keating Jr. has agreed to settle regulators' claims against him by paying $30 million for losses at Irvine's failed Lincoln Savings & Loan, but it's unlikely that regulators will recover any of that money. The Office of Thrift Supervision said Thursday that the restitution settlement with Charles H. Keating III is aimed at recovering any money that might be hidden away and transferred to him at a later date.

Charles H. Keating Jr. began putting up a defense for the first time Wednesday to charges that he swindled Lincoln Savings investors and lived like a king on looted funds, leaving taxpayers with a $2.6-billion bailout bill. In Keating's securities fraud trial in state court last year, his lawyer offered no defense, contending that prosecutors never proved their case. But the flamboyant former multimillionaire was convicted and sentenced to the maximum 10 years in state prison.

Federal prosecutors say Charles H. Keating Jr.'s attorney should be disqualified from defending him on bank fraud and racketeering charges because the defense lawyer has previously represented two of Keating's co-defendants in civil matters. U.S. District Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer will hear arguments Monday on whether the potential conflict is serious enough to bar Stephen C. Neal from representing Keating in the criminal trial.

A federal judge on Monday refused to disqualify Charles H. Keating Jr.'s lawyer from defending the former Lincoln Savings & Loan owner on criminal charges of bank fraud and racketeering. U.S. District Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer indicated that Stephen C. Neal would be able to continue representing Keating even though he previously had represented two co-defendants in civil matters. The two co-defendants--Keating's son, Charles H. Keating III, and one of Keating's sons-in-law, Robert M.

The highest-ranking executive to turn against Charles H. Keating Jr. pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to bank fraud in the 1989 collapse of Lincoln Savings & Loan and agreed to testify against his former boss. Bruce F. Dickson, 38, a former president of Irvine-based Lincoln Savings & Loan and a senior vice president and director of its parent company, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Manuel Real in Los Angeles.

Paying one of the larger thrift industry fines for individuals, the former owner of Guardian Savings & Loan and his wife have turned over $8.5 million to settle claims stemming from the S&L's 1991 collapse. Russell M. and Rebecca M. Jedinak also agreed to a lifetime ban from the government-insured banking industry. They did not admit any wrongdoing in settling and paying the restitution earlier this month, the Office of Thrift Supervision said Monday.

Three cohorts of Charles H. Keating Jr. were put on probation Monday by federal judges who lauded them for admitting their guilt early and for helping to convict the former operator of Lincoln Savings & Loan. Raymond C. Fidel, a former president of the Irvine thrift, and Ernest C. Garcia II, an Arizona developer and major borrower, were each put on three years' probation for their roles in the nation's costliest thrift failure. Mark S.

Former Lincoln Savings & Loan owner Charles H. Keating Jr. posted bail late Monday and will be released today, after a federal judge in Los Angeles had refused to lower the $300,000 bail of the former thrift owner charged with fraud and racketeering in the failed Irvine-based company, said a source close to the case. U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer also denied a motion to reduce the bail of Charles H. Keating III, who was indicted with his father and three others Dec. 12.